Method of and apparatus for treating shingle elements



Aug.I 13, 1935.V J. 1 WETTLAUFER 2,011,093

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING' SHINGLE ELEMENTS Filed March '7, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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ug. 13, 1935- J. L. WETTLAUFE METHOD O AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHINGLE ELEMENTS Filed March '7, 1932 2 SheetS-Shet 2 INVENTOR,

ATTbRNEYS Patented Aug. 13, 1935 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE" l This invention amrnon or AND APPARATUS Foa'raEA'rma smNcLa ELEMENTS Jules L. Wettlaufer, Belmont, Mass., assigner to The Patent and Licensing Corporation, Boston,` Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts lApplication March 7,

' v11 claims. relates to the production of `shingles or shingle strips and is more particularly concerned with a method of and apparatus for sealing the edges and thickening the butt portions I of shingles or shingle strips comprising a felted brous foundation made waterproof by saturating and coating substance such as with a suitable waterproonng asphalt or the like.

In the manufacture of shingles o'r shingle strips of the character above referred to, a sheet of felted fibrous material is saturated with low melting point asphalt,

coated with high melting point blown asphalt, surfaced on one or both sides with crushed mineral o r other wear-resisting material and severed into shingle elements of thedesired shape and size.

'I'he coating and surfacing on elements thus prepared is evenly distributed throughout the entire area thereof. Such elements have a thin, flat, unsubstantial appearance. Furthermore, fibers are exposed along theV cut edges of the elements which absorb moisture during wet weather causing the elements to swell and crack thereby diminishing the waterproofing qualities of the roof and shortening the life of the elements.

These objectionable features can be obviatedby cutting blanks from a coated and surfaced sheet of roofing material and subjecting the precut blanks to a coating and surfacing operation whereby the butts sealed.

are thickened and the edges are tures.

This invention has for its object the provision of a method of andan apparatus for sealing the, exposed edges and thickening the butt portions of roofing'units, such as individual shingles or' shingle strips which have been formed of either unsaturated felt or felt which has been saturated,

coated and surfaced as hereinbefore described.

A further 'object of the invention is the provision of a method of and meansfor automatically handling pre-cut shingles or shingle strips and carrying them through coating and surfacing operations. l

y Further objects and advantages of my inven- 1932. serial No. 597,136 j v(C1. sii-1s) tion will be manifest from thefollowing description in conjunction with the accompanying drawlings of which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of apparatus embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the details of one of 'the coating operations.

Figure 3 is a View partly in cross section of a feeding device forming part of the apparatus shown in Figure l. l

Figure 4 is an elevational view, along the line 4--4, of the mechanism shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation of an end plate form-' ing part of the mechanism shown in Figures 3 and 4 and associated elements.

Figure 61s a perspective view of the plate shown in Figure 5. v c

Figure 7 is a view showing the arrangement of the elements during one of the coating and surfacing operations.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a suitable frame upon which the apparatus is mounted. Thenumeral 2 indicates a pair of parallel endless chain conveyors adapted to run on sprocket wheels 3, 4, 5, and 6 and con- 25 nected at spaced intervals by rods 1 having suitable clamps or grippers 8, pivotally mounted thereon. The rods 1 are spaced apart at such a distance that when the clamps are holding a series of shingles or strips in a substantially hor- 30 izontal direction, each shingle will overlap the adjacent preceding shingle solas to expose only that portion of the preceding shingle which it is desired to coat, as illustrated in Figure 7. The clamps 8 have rollers 9 and I0 adapted to coact 35 respectively with suitably located tracks or cam surfaces Il and I2 to open the Vclamps at the proper time and place. The clamps are usually retained in closed position by suitable coil springs 8. The shingles I3 are placed on a suitable con- 40 veyor I4 in bundles with the butt edges downward. The conveyor I4 slopes at a slight anglev in order to permit the shingles to be carried forward'by gravity. At the forward end of the conveyor I4 is a stop plate I5 having vertical slots 45 I6 adjacent the sides thereof extending substantially to the top of the plate. The plate I5 is t slightly longer and of substantially' greater depth than the shingle elements and has flanges Il along itsv side edges. As shown in Figure 6, the 50 upper portion of each of the flanges I'I may be provided with a lip I1 to form guide channels for the Aside 'edge portions of'strip shingles whichare moved upwardly against the face of the plate I5. These guide channels are spaced above the 55 lower edge oi the plate I! a distance slightly greater than the height of a strip shingle. and may project above the upper edge of the plate as shown. A pair of vertically disposed endless link chains i8, having lugs I9 spaced apart at distances not less than the depth of a shingle element, are arranged to travel around sprocket wheels 2t and '2i so that vertical stretches of these chains are adjacent to the rear face of the plate l5 and register respectively with the slots i6. 'Ihe lugs i9 are thus adapted to project through and travel in the slots. When. a number of strip shingles are supported by the conveyor id in the position illustrated in Figure 3 and the conveyor chains i8 are driven in the proper direction, a pair of lugs I9 engage the bottom edge of the strip shingle next to the plate l5. and elevate it edgewise. The side edge p0rtions of the shingle are then guided by the guiding anges il and lips li until the shingle is in a position to be gripped by a pair of clamping jaws 8. The conveyors 2 and the chains i8 are so timed that an open clamp will be in position to receive an element at the moment when the element is ready to be gripped. It will be apparent that more than two slots i6 and two chains I8 may be used, if necessary, for the elevation of elements from the conveyor lli. The engagement of the rollers 9 and l0 with the cam rails ll and l2 is such that the clamps d reach the clamping position with their jaws held open to receive an element fed upwardly from below. At the clamping position, the rollers s and lli ride clear of the cam rails .l land l2, permitting the springs 8 to snap the clamp jaws shut on the upper portion of anelement, the element being then carried along with the conveyor 2.

' 'I'he shingle elements firmly held by the clamps pass over an idle roll 22 and then over a coating roller 23 to which a waterproofing material such as asphalt is fed from a suitable tank 24, and

. which may be rotated slowly in a. clockwise direc= tion. The conveyors 2 are spaced at such a distance from the coating roll 23 that as the shingles pass over the roll, substantially only the butt portion of one face of the shingle, i. e., the portion of the shingle which will be exposed when the shingle is laid on a roof, is coated, together with the butt edges. A'Illhe roll 22 serves to prevent contact between successive shingles when in contact with the coating roll. After passing the coating rolls, the shingles, held in a vertical position, then move into contact with an upwardly sloping stretch of a conveyor belt 25 carrying suitable granular material. 'Ihe belt 25 travels around a series of rolls 21, 28, 29, 30, arrangedv as shown below the conveyor 2. The granular materialista! from the hopper 3l to a belt conveyor 32 which around rolls 21, 33, 3l, and 35. As thebelt 32 passes around .the roll 21 in contact with the belt. 26, thel granular material is transferred to the latter. The slope of the belt 25 between the rolls 21 and 28, preferably about 221/2, is such that the granular material will not-slide backward thereon Instead of placing the feeding hopper 3| above the belt 32, the

hopper may be placed above the belt 25 between of the elements'to rock rearwardly'so as to aplimiting the invention thereto.

proach a horizontal position on the grit-surfaced pushing the grit downwardly thereon andwex posing bare surfaces of the belt. This cliilerence in speed will ensure adequate surfacing ofthe shingle strips as they Contact with the belt 25.v

Excess granular material from the belt 25 falls back into the hopper 3|. After passing clear of the belt 25, the shingles, carried by the conveyors 2, pass around the sprocket wheel 4 and ascend toward the elevated wheel 5. As the shingles pass? around the sprocket wheel and begin to descend, they flop over so that the face of the shingle` which has. not been coated is outermost. The conveyors 2 then pass around sprocket wheel E and travelvin a direction substantially horizontal or slightly inclined thereto with the shingle elements in overlapped relation and the uncoated faces of the butt portions uppermost. While in this posh tion, the elements are conveyed under a spray or Y other suitable device 36 for applying coating material to the elements. The elements then pass beneath a suitable roll 31 to doctor the coating and then beneath hoppers 38, 39, 40, M, which apply wear-resisting material such as crushed slate, slag or the like of suitable colors to the elements. As the elements pass around sprocket wheel 3, they are subjected to a pressing action by means of drum t2 to ilrmly embed the wearresisting material in thecoating. As the clamps pass around the sprocket wheel S, the rollers 9 and l@ engage with the tracks ll and l2 causing the clamps toopen and release the shingles which are permitted to fall onto the slide 43 from whence they are conducted away to be stored and packed.

n accordance with the process outlined, it will be seen that each element is coated on both faces of the butt portion and on the exposed edges. However, if it is desired to coat only one surface of the butt portion together with the exposed edges of the element,` either coating operation may be omitted. 'Ihus it will be seen that my apparatus andprocess are adapted for coating o ne or both faces of the elements together with the exposed edges.

If it is desired to coat first while the shingles orstrips are in overlapping relation, the direction of travel of the conveyor can be reversed. In that case, it will be apparent that the positions of the coating device 36 and the surfacing hoppers 31 to 4l will have to be interchanged as well as the surfacing belt 25 and the roll 22. The cams or tracks il and l2 would be positioned between the'surfacing belt and the conveyor` I4.

'I'he strips shown in the drawings are of the well known square butt type. Shingle elements of other shapes and sizes may be similarly treated` in accordance with my invention, the particular stripsshown inthe drawings being onLv for purposes of illustration without any lintention of 1. A process for treating shingle elements, comprising swingably gripping a series of elements in succession, coating one face of said elements,

. the-gripped elements in overlapping relation with a portion of the opposite face of each element exposed to a coating means and coating the esposedportions. y

2. A process for treating shingle elements, which comprises gripping a sries of elements in a substantially vertical position, advancing the series toward a coating means, transferring a film of waterproofing substance to one face of each of said elementaoverlapping the gripped elements so as to expose a portion of each of the opposite faces of said elements and applying waterproofing substance to said exposed portions.

3. A continuous process of the character described, comprising suspending a series of shingle elements in spaced relation, coating and surfacing a portion of one face of each of said elements, arranging the thus coatedand surfaced elements in overlapped rrelation and coating and surfacing the exposed portions of the opposite faces and the exposed edges of said elements.

4. A continuous process for treating shingle elements, comprising swingably gripping a series of elements in a substantially. vertical position, successively transferring a film of waterproofing substance to a portion of one face of eachof said elements, applying wear-resisting material to the coated portions, subsequently arranging the gripped elements in overlapped relation with a portion of the uncoated face of each of said'elements exposed to a coating means, applying a coat of waterproofing substance to the exposed portions and edges of said elements and applying wear-resisting material to said coated portions.

5. Apparatus of the character described, cornprising means for-gripping a series of shingle elements, means for coating one face of each of said elements, means for overlapping the elements while gripped and means for coating the unlapped portions of the opposite faces of said eiements.

6. Apparatus of the character described, comprising means for gripping a .series of shingle elements, means for advancing said elements while gripped in a substantially vertical position, means for transferring a film of waterproofing substance to one face of each of said elements, means for overlapping the gripped elements,

means for advancing the overlapped elements in a substantially horizontal position with the opposite faces exposed to a coating means', and

the exposed portions of ing the coated areas, and lthereafter discharging said shingles successively from said series.

8. A continuous process for treating shingle elements, comprising gripping a series of elements in spaced relation, advancing the gripped elements edgewise in overlapping relation, butt edges forward, and applying molten asphalt and grit in succession to the advancing gripped elements.

9. A continuous process for treating shingle elements, which comprises gripping a series of elements in spaced relation, treating one face of each gripped element, inverting eachsuccessive gripped element butt edge over head portion, and treating the opposite face of each said element.

10. A process for treating shingle elements,-

which comprises gripping a series of roofing ele ments in spaced relation, overlapping said elements so that the headportion of one face of each element is lapped by the next element, treating the unlapped portions of said faces, reversing the directionof overlap, and treating the unlapped portions of the opposite faces.

11. A process for' treating shingle elements, which comprises gripping a series of roofing elements in spaced relation, overlapping said elements so that the head portion ofa face of each element is lapped by the next preceding element in said series and the butt portion of said face is exposed, treatingthe exposed portions of said faces, rocking the gripped shingle elements in l the series so that the head portion of the opposite l i face of each element is overlapped by the next following shingle in said series and the butt portion of said opposite face is exposed, and treating said opposite faces. JULESL. WE'I'ILAUFER. 

